Method and means fob



J. A. S'HINMETZn METHOD AND MEANS FOR DESTROYING SUBMARINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l5. |911.

Patented Deo. 23, 1919.

Wit-vl con i ummm Clftoznev a:

Umar, STATES www orme JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND MEANS FR DESTBOYING SUBMARINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn A. STEINMETZ, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Means for Destroying Submarines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The object of this invention is to provide for the destruction of submarines by small ships boats. At the present time it is usual for submarines to compel those on an attacked ship, either before or after the ship has been torpedoed, to send to the submarine a small boat with officers and the ships papers. Except where the ship is allowed to proceed in the interest of the country to which the submarine belongs, those in the small boat are, at best, turned adrift to reach land or a friendly ship as best they may. This invention provides such small boat with concealed means `whereby, when very near the submarine, ostensibly to deliver papers and orally answer questions, it may suddenly discharge below the water line and against the side of the submarine a small bomb or torpedo carrying enough high explosive to sink the submarine.

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawings,

Figure 1 shows a ships small boat approaching a submarine.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the small boat, partly in vertical axial section.

3 is a cross section of the small boat.

Fig. 4 shows in larger view a simple torpedo or bomb which may be used.

In these figures, 5 represents a submarine, 6 a ship attacked thereby, 7 one of the ships small boats having the ordinary general appearance. Along the keel of the boat is a receptacle 8 for a compressed gas tank 9 of cylindrical form, and alining with this receptacle is a tube 10 for containing a torpedo 11 preferably provided with suitable encircling rings 12 to secure a close t in the tube. The rear end of the tube has a sort of removable breech block 13, through which a pipe 14 discharges. The pipe 14 communicates with the interior of the tank through a valved pipe 15 detachably connected to the pipe 14 by a suitable coupling 16, without novelty, and the forward end of the tube 10 may be closed in any suitable Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 23, 1919 Application filed September 15, 1917.

Serial No. 191,636.

Vbreech is opened, and the tank is removed if in place.

The torpedo is then provided with a war head, or device 19, for detonating by contact and is pushed forward in the tube until the peripheral portion of its rounded end rests against one or another of suitable stops 20, an of lwhich may be withdrawn by those in the boat, as shown, by pressing upon a centrally pivoted lever 21 connected with the corresponding pin stop 20. The torpedo being in place, the breech block is inserted, the tank is adjusted in place, and the pipes 14, 15 are coupled. At the proper time the valved pipe 15 is opened allowing the highly compressed gas to pass into the tube in the rear of the torpedo, which is thereby urged forward with a force depending on the initial pressure in the tank and the relative volume of the space in the same and in the tube. The tube space mentioned depends upon the distance to which the torpedo is initially advanced in the tube, and as the pressure in steel tanks may safely be very high, this pressure is easily made ample for driving the torpedo through many times the distance probably necessary for eective use. Preferably the volume in the rear of the torpedo will be large enough to exert high propelling force up to the time when the torpedo leaves the tube.

rIhe torpedo being in place, the valve 17 is opened (if closed) and the valve controlling the tank discharge is opened. When the torpedo is to be ejected the proper lever 21 is suddenly depressed withdrawing its stop 20, whereupon the torpedo is suddenly shot forward and an instant later is exploded against the submarine which the boat has closely approached. There is no time for defense or counter-attack.

The firing tube may be loaded before the boat is launchedl and without breaking the high pressure connection or opening the breech block, by the simple expedient of opening the forward valve 17 and inserting the projectile as in muzzle loaders. By this means, exposing the ammunition and suspicious movements in the boat are avoided,

discharge of the projectile being secured by mere pressure of the foot in a boat apparently of usual construction, containing nothing for attack, and being operated in the usual Way.

`What l claim is:

1, The method of destroying submarines which consists in providing a ships small boat with torpedo discharging devices the presence of which is not suggested to the eye of the ordinary observer by the form of the boat or otherwise, and with devices whereby an occupant of the boat may by movements not suggesting hostility cause the discharge of a torpedo by said devices for discharging.

boat internally and externally of ordinary general appearance, of a torpedo-discharging tube carried by the boat and invisible to ordinary observers, and means whereby an occupant of the boat may at Will and Without unusual movements cause the discharge of a torpedo from said tube.

3. The combination with a ships small boat of ordinary general appearance having along its keel a concealed torpedo tube, of a tank Jfor compressed gas, and operatorcontrolled means for supplying to the tube gas from the tank to expel, secretly, a torpedo therefrom.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature.

JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ. 

